


My Angel of Destiny

by Raina921



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
Genre: F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Romance, You don't need fifty-billion tags, underrated ship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-04
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:42:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,208
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24544054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raina921/pseuds/Raina921
Summary: After being released from the Society of Light's hold, Alexis has lost her way. With almost a whole year's worth of time stolen from her, dueling has become something to fear now more than ever for her. But with help from an unexpected ally, she might just find a way to conquer her fears and move on from the past. And maybe even find love in the process. Rareshipping Astlexis.
Relationships: Aster Phoenix/Alexis Rhodes
Comments: 14
Kudos: 6





	1. Chapter 1

Alexis stood silently near the edge of the lake near the Obelisk Blue girls’ dorm. Normally, the area had a calming effect on her whenever she came here by herself. But today, her thoughts were too chaotic for her to feel any sense of relaxation. She still couldn’t believe everything that had transpired at the Academy while she had been “absent”, for lack of a better word. Just yesterday, she had been freed from the control of the Light of Destruction that had taken over her mind after she had lost a duel to Chazz (who had also been under the light’s control until recently). After Jaden had defeated her yesterday in a duel, it was like waking up from a long sleep. But she was shocked to find out that it had been longer than she had initially thought…

Begin Flashback:

_“Alexis, how are you feeling now that you’re back to normal? Any headaches or dizziness at all?” Jaden asked concernedly._

_“Nope, I feel fine. I wish I could remember what I had been doing, though… Since I was in the Society, then I must have heard some inside information that could have been useful for us to have.” Alexis said thoughtfully._

_“Yeah, I guess that would have been nice. But more than anything else, I’m just glad that you and Chazz are back to normal now. Those duels were some of the toughest I’ve ever had. For awhile there, I wasn’t sure if I could ever get through to you guys, to be honest. But now I feel like we’re one step closer to putting an end to all of this. This gave me even more hope for that.” Jaden admitted._

_Alexis smiled gently at Jaden’s words. She loved how he was always so optimistic. If only she could feel surer of her own abilities right now…_

_Trying to push away the gnawing sense of uneasiness she felt, Alexis decided to change the subject. “Speaking of tough things, I really need to get back to studying for that field choice test if I hope to have any shot at getting extra credit for the practical exam!” She said with a smile._

_For a moment, Jaden looked surprised at Alexis’ words. Then, realization must have dawned on him because he changed his expression. Suddenly, he looked uncomfortable._

_“Um, Lex? We already had the field choice test a long time ago…” Jaden said quietly. There was pity in his gaze._

_“Wait…really? But I thought there was still another week until then. Just how long has it been since I was…not here? What date is it?” Alexis asked with growing dread._

_“Well… We still got a little time until the end of the school year, but it’ll be June pretty soon.” Jaden answered as he showed Alexis the date on his PDA._

_“J-June!? But that can’t be right! It wasn’t even November yet! How have I been out of it for practically a year!? No, what have I been doing all this time!? I can’t remember anything!” Alexis said in horror. The full implications of the situation were just now starting to hit her._

_“I’m sorry, Alexis… I wish there was more I could say to help you feel better. But I can’t really tell you much aside from that you were working directly for Sartorius a lot. It seems like Chazz can’t remember anything either.” Jaden said apologetically._

_“I’m sorry, Jaden. I didn’t mean to yell at you like that. I just can’t believe this…” Alexis said in a subdued tone._

_“Well, if it makes you feel any better, I heard that they’re going to cancel final exams this year.” Jaden said with a weak smile._

_All Alexis could do was return Jaden’s smile half-heartedly. Sure, not having to deal with as much schoolwork was a plus. But that didn’t make up for the time that she had lost…_

End Flashback

No matter how she looked at it, Alexis couldn’t deny it: almost a year of her life had been taken away from her. A year of not just missed opportunities, but also of not knowing just what she had been doing or what she was like as a person. Had the Light’s influence changed her personality? What if she had done or said things to hurt people? The not knowing was driving her crazy. 

Alexis wondered if anyone else could relate to what she was feeling right now. So far, Chazz was the only other student she knew of who had been released from the Society of Light’s hold. Talking to him might be a good idea if she wanted someone to relate to about this. But at the same time, Alexis was wary of doing this. She had already embarrassed herself enough in front of Jaden, so she didn’t want anyone else to see her getting so upset over this. And what if Chazz simply didn’t want any reminders of what had happened to him? After all, he had conquered his own past demons by going to North Academy and returning as someone who didn’t let others’ opinions, or the shadow of his older brothers affect him anymore.

The more she went over everything in her mind, the more Alexis felt like she was at a loss about how to move forward from this. It wasn’t just about the time she had lost. For Alexis, duels had always been her focus, her drive that kept her going while she was here. Being a duelist had always made her feel more motivated to work harder in life. When she had first come to Duel Academy to find her brother, it had been a source of familiarity and hope for her. Especially seeing how much Jaden had been able to change things through dueling by believing in his cards and not giving up. But for herself, Alexis felt as if that mindset was starting to change. She had never felt so powerless before when she had lost a shadow game and been unable to save Atticus. She had had to rely on Jaden to save not only him, but herself as well. Duels could have terrible consequences and losing to Chazz and becoming brainwashed by the light from it had reminded her of that again. Just how much could she trust her own abilities when the stakes just seemed to keep getting higher? It felt as if everything that Alexis loved about dueling in the first place had been sucked away, replaced with much darker feelings instead. All she knew of for sure was that she had to find some way out of this mess and learn to trust her instincts again. She just had no idea where to begin…


	2. Chapter 2

One thing that could be said for Aster Phoenix was that he didn’t like waiting nowadays. Even though the Genex tournament being held at school still had a decent amount of time left until it was over, he was getting restless. After literally hundreds of victories with enough decks of his opponents to go through to match them, he still hadn’t found it. The Destiny Hero card that was said to be in the possession of his father’s murderer was the only lead he had. And sometimes, Aster couldn’t help feeling that this was becoming more of a lost cause every day. Who knew for sure if they would even be on the island? And even if they had the card, who was to say that they carried it on them at all even? But despite his doubts, Aster kept on searching and dueling. He felt as if he was being driven to keep going. As if he was consumed by an almost primal urge much like hunger or thirst.

Aster treaded carefully through the longer grass near a wooded area of the island, taking care to not let the darkness hinder his footing. He usually preferred trying to find opponents to duel at night. It gave him more of an advantage to have the element of surprise on his side since less people expected a challenge from others then. But he also believed that whoever had stolen his father’s card wouldn’t want to be as easy to find in broad daylight.

After a few minutes of walking and coming up empty, Aster stopped walking. He leaned against a large tree, giving a slight sigh of frustration. As the competition wore on, the number of duelists was starting to thin out. He should have expected this. Or maybe, more people were trying to avoid him… When he looked to see what was ahead of him, Aster realized that he had come full circle. Duel Academy’s main building loomed not too far in front of him.

 _Well, I might as well take a break for a bit since I’m coming up empty-handed as it is._ Aster decided to himself. If anything, he could at least stop for some coffee at the vending machines in the lobby.

Xxx

A can of iced coffee was deposited onto the opening slot of the vending machine with a dull thud. Aster took it gratefully, enjoying the feeling of coolness on his hands. After taking a minute to drink it, he proceeded to head back to the entrance.

On his way down the main hallway, Aster paused. He noticed that the lights in the dueling arena were turned on, yet he didn’t hear anything that hinted at a duel going on. Curious, he went over to the doorway to look. To his surprise, Aster saw only one person-a girl-in the arena. She had her duel disk on and was staring across the dueling field with a lost expression on her face. It was almost as if she expected some imaginary opponent to start summoning monsters right there in front of her.

 _What is she doing here all by herself at this hour? Practicing? And haven’t I seen her somewhere before?_ Aster wondered to himself.

After taking a closer look, Aster realized that he _did_ recognize the girl. She was Alexis Rhodes, the student that he had almost ended up dueling earlier this year back when the faculty had been trying to use him for promotional duels to get rid of the Slifer Red dorm. He hadn’t really seen Alexis since then. Aster didn’t know much about Jaden’s friends, but he remembered hearing about how Alexis was in the Society of Light as one of Sartorius’ second in-commands. But judging from how she looked now, it looked like that was finally over.

“It’s no use! I can’t…make myself…want to duel anymore. _Why_ did this have to happen!? So stupid…” Aster snapped to attention at the sound of Alexis’ voice. She had thrown down her duel disk in frustration and was now kneeling on the floor with her hands planted on the ground.

A part of Aster wanted to just sneak back into the hallway and walk away, pretending that he had never witnessed this. But another part of him felt like he just couldn’t ignore this. For the first time, he realized that he felt guilty about not wanting to do more for the victims of the Society. He had been so caught up in his own mission that he had forgotten there were real people in front of him that could have used his help. And now Alexis was suffering due to remaining under its influence for so long. Sure, he didn’t know whether defeating any of them would be enough to bring them out of their trance like Jaden had done with Chazz and Alexis apparently. But at least trying to would have been better than doing nothing at all.

“Hey. Are you…alright? What are you doing here dueling all by yourself?” Aster asked cautiously.

Turning around at Aster’s words, Alexis flushed in embarrassment when she saw him. “Yeah. I mean, no. Not really, I guess… I’m sorry you had to see that, Aster.” She apologized.

“You have nothing to be sorry about. I’m the one who just barged in here, so I should apologize instead. If you want, I can leave. Or…do you want to talk about it at all? If I’m not prying, that is.” Aster offered, hastily tacking on the last part to avoid seeming rude.

Looking slightly surprised at Aster’s offer, Alexis paused for a moment before answering. “Well…okay, I guess. Thanks. I guess you could say I’m at something of an impasse right now. I know I should be happy to be out of the whole Society of Light mess and free again. But all I can think of is how much time I don’t even remember from this year because of it. My duel with Chazz was almost a year ago, but it feels like yesterday. It’s like I woke up from a dream. Like I’m Rip Van Winkle or something. I really wish I could remember everything. But at the same time, I’m not even sure that I _want_ to know what I’ve been doing all this time.” She explained.

“I wish I could tell you that at least it is all over for you now and that you should focus on the future. But I know that that is not the answer you are looking for, nor is it as simple as just doing that. As for what you have been doing, knowing how Sartorius is now, I wouldn’t be surprised if he had you singing hymns to the Light in a circle along with the other Society members. But if you’re worried that anything malicious happened, I don’t think you need to. He’s up to something, but as far as I know, the Society hasn’t gotten anyone killed or anything like that.” Aster said seriously.

“I guess that makes me feel a little better…” Alexis said slowly.

“It’s just the not knowing, though. Isn’t it?” Aster asked sympathetically.

“Yes. And it’s not just that. I can’t see duels the same way anymore. They used to be easy for me, but after everything last year and now this, it’s different. They’re too dangerous with the stakes going higher and higher. It was fine when I could just duel and not worry about anything else. But ever since I came here, there is always some consequence with some magic thing that can happen if you lose. And I haven’t been able to avoid those duels since I needed to accept them if I wanted to help someone. But now I feel like I can’t ever relax. If I start winning a lot of regular duels, I’ll get overconfident and think that I can win enough to take on anything. And then the same thing will happen again, and I’ll just end up needing someone to bail me out again. I want to be strong enough to protect the people I care about, but I don’t want to end up failing them or burdening anyone else either.” Alexis explained helplessly.

“I understand how you feel. I may still be able to duel, but the fear that I ever might not be good enough to do what I need to as a duelist is still there. Dueling for others is not easy.” Aster confessed. And he meant it. Despite his resolve, Aster’s doubts still plagued him at times. His fear that he would never find out who killed his father. That he would never feel at peace with himself and be able to move on if he couldn’t do it. Worrying that he may not be the chosen one that Sarina had predicted would stop all this. He didn’t like feeling powerless.

“And yet you still do. I still remember how you were right before we almost dueled. I doubt that I could have won then. And you’re still dueling for your father now, aren’t you?” Alexis ventured.

“I am. But speaking of back then, why don’t we take the chance to have that duel since we never did? It could just be a practice match for you. What do you say? It might help you.” Aster suggested.

“Right now?” Alexis asked in surprise.

“Why not? This way you won’t have to worry about an audience at least since it’s just us here.” Aster pointed out.

After a moment of thought, Alexis answered. “Alright. I’ll give it a try.” She agreed.

  
  



	3. Chapter 3

Despite her decision to go along with the duel, Alexis wasn’t feeling particularly good about it. Sure, this was just a practice duel with no life-altering magic forces at work. But just the thought of being back in the arena with all the reminders of what had happened to her was bad enough. Not to mention that this wasn’t just any duelist she was facing. This was Aster Phoenix, pro duelist extraordinaire himself. Alexis may not have been completely up to date on his dueling record since before she had been brainwashed. But she knew from the Academy’s website that Aster was one of the top-ranked duelists in the Genex tournament right now. With that, his pro league career, and having defeated both Zane and Jaden (even if just once), she knew that she had her work cut out for her.

But it wasn’t just Aster’s skills that made him stand out as a duelist. Back before the whole Society mess had happened to her, Alexis had been scheduled for a duel with Aster. Even though it had been cancelled due to Jaden’s return, she had still gotten a chance to feel his presence as a duelist. The expression that Aster had had right before they were set to duel each other spoke volumes. He looked as if he was ready to take on the whole world by himself if need be. She could feel his battle aura clear from the other side of the arena, as if there had been actual heat radiating from him. Aster was taking their duel with complete seriousness. There weren’t even the usual flirting attempts or comments about taking it easy on her for being a girl that she normally got from guys when he had revealed himself to be her opponent. Aster was a duelist she could respect since he took his opponents seriously. And that wasn’t something she could always say when it came to how she was treated overall in dueling.

As she positioned herself across from Aster now on the other side of the arena, Alexis saw it again: that complete focus and determination from Aster. It was a bit intimidating, but she reminded herself that there weren’t any stakes here.

“This may be a practice duel, but don’t think that means that I’ll be going easy on you, Alexis. I’m going to give this duel everything I’ve got, so you should as well.” Aster warned.

“Don’t worry; I don’t intend to.” Alexis reassured Aster. She could see the same expression on him from before, that drive and determination.

As Alexis heard the all-too-familiar sound of their duel disks activating, she felt her senses become hyper-aware of her surroundings. This was the same arena that she had been ready to duel Aster in before. But it was also the same place where she had lost to Chazz and became brainwashed by the Light. With that realization, she suddenly felt as if she were back in that moment. Aster disappeared and was replaced with Chazz. Alexis felt like she could see and hear everything from the moment of her loss: the crowd of Society of Light members chanting, Chazz’ monster staring her down, the bright flash of light that consumed her field of vision as her life points dropped to zero. It was all too real for her.

 _No… No! I don’t want to go back! I can’t!_ Alexis thought to herself in despair. Without even realizing it, she had abandoned her duel disk and was now crouching on the floor of the arena on her knees, hands covering her ears.

“Alexis! Are you alright!? Can you hear me!? The duel is over; it’s alright now!” Aster’s voice broke through Alexis’ frozen state. 

Once she had managed to calm herself down a bit, Alexis looked up to find Aster kneeling in front of her, his hands placed firmly on her shoulders to steady her. His grip was surprisingly gentle.

“I- What just happened?” Alexis asked dazedly.

“You don’t remember? We were going to duel, and then you started having some kind panic attack. Or something like it at least.” Aster explained.

“It reminded me of when I got…taken.” Alexis admitted quietly.

“Maybe the arena wasn’t such a good idea. We don’t need it to duel.” Aster suggested.

“I’m sorry. Maybe you’re right. I guess I didn’t think it would be that bad…” Alexis apologized, feeling embarrassed for showing so much weakness in front of an opponent.

Aster helped Alexis off the floor, making sure that her duel disk was deactivated before handing it back to her. He then paused, taking a moment to think before speaking again. “It looks like there isn’t going to be a simple fix for this. I do have one idea, though…” He said thoughtfully.

“What?” Alexis asked curiously.

“I’ll need a little time to think about it first. But if you come to the harbor after class tomorrow, I may still be able to help.” Aster offered.

Alexis was willing to try just about any possible solution at this point. But a part of her wondered just _why_ Aster was so willing to help her at all. She didn’t know him very well at all. In fact, she had sort of forgotten about him after his second duel with Jaden. But Alexis had always seen Aster as more reserved, almost cold even, from what she had seen of him during his duels with her friends. So, why was he being so nice suddenly? She didn’t know the answer, but Alexis wanted to find out what it was all the same.

“At this rate, I’m willing to take all the help I can get. So, I don’t see why not. But are you sure you’re okay with it? I don’t want to inconvenience you if you have something else to do tomorrow, Aster.” Alexis said politely.

“Don’t worry, it’s fine. I’m not making any headway with this tournament right now, so I can spare some time. And I usually duel at night anyway.” Aster answered honestly.

“At night? Why?” Alexis asked curiously.

“To gain the element of surprise, of course. The hunters only think that is what they are doing until they become the hunted themselves.” Aster said darkly.

Feeling slightly unnerved by Aster’s words and expression, Alexis quickly changed the subject. “Well, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow after school then…” She said. She just hoped she would be ready for whatever she was getting herself into.


	4. Chapter 4

Aster idly searched through the cards in his deck, his eyes glancing over to the wall clock above him every minute or so. Alexis had said that she would be over at about six ‘o clock, but it was now almost ten minutes past that, and he was starting to get worried. He hoped she hadn’t decided against any course of action that would help her. Even though Aster knew that it wasn’t his fault that she had fallen prey to the Society of Light’s possession, a part of him felt as if he needed to try helping her now. Whether it was guilt that he felt for not thinking of doing anything for the victims or true sympathy, he did not know. Looking back on his duel with Jaden, Aster remembered how he had gone on about his belief of what a real hero should be like. But had he truly been following his own philosophy all this time? Or just acting out of self-interest by mainly pursuing his goals? Aster didn’t know for sure. All he knew was that something was compelling him now to try helping Alexis. Seeing someone struggle like that right in front of his eyes was different, especially when it had to do with dueling.

A light knock sounded at the door to the deck. Aster rose from his seat and walked to the door. After checking to see that it was Alexis, he let her in.

“I’m sorry I’m a little late.” Alexis apologized sheepishly.

“It’s no problem; it was only a few extra minutes. I’m just glad that you still decided to come. I know that facing your fears isn’t always the easiest thing to do, after all.” Aster said kindly.

“Thanks, Aster. I just hope I can follow through with the hard part…” Alexis said somewhat uncertainly.

“Why don’t we sit in the kitchen since we’re right there. Would you like anything to drink? Water or tea maybe?” Aster offered.

Alexis raised her eyebrows slightly in surprise. “Somehow, I didn’t see you as the kind of guy that likes tea.” She admitted.

“What’s to be surprised about? It’s good for you, especially more than coffee. I’m an athlete too, so it helps to try staying healthy. Although I do still like coffee every once in awhile.” Aster commented casually.

“Yeah, I remember you had some with you last night.” Alexis recalled.

Aster couldn’t help feeling a little surprised by Alexis’ words. Somehow, he hadn’t expected her to remember that detail with what she was going through last night.

“Well, that was a special case. But I think tea would do you better for this. It’ll help relax your nerves for this.” Aster said.

“Alright. Thanks, Aster.” Alexis said gratefully.

Xxx

Once they were settled at the small kitchen table across from each other with mugs of green tea before them, Aster started in on his idea. “Okay, first things first. Have you ever heard of immersion therapy, Alexis?” He asked.

“Yeah. It’s what is used to help people conquer their fears by acting out and confronting those scenarios. Right?” Alexis answered.

“That’s right. And that is what we will be doing with your fear of dueling. It’s a step-by-step process, so we won’t immediately go into a duel to start off with. First, we need to talk more about what dueling itself is like for you now. This should give us a good start by hopefully identifying what makes you more nervous than other things. Then, once we have a better idea of what affects you the most during a duel, we’ll go from there. How does that sound to you?” Aster explained.

“It sounds like you really know your stuff. Just out of curiosity, how do you know so much about this?” Alexis asked curiously.

“Well, one of my PhDs is in psychology, so I know more than a lot of other people do. Although I didn’t have as much of a focus on this particular topic, per say.” Aster admitted, hastily tacking on the last part so that it wouldn’t sound like he was bragging.

_ ONE of his PhDs? He says it so casually…  _ Alexis thought to herself weakly.

“I’m glad you’re on my side, then! I’m ready for this whenever you are. So, ask away, Dr. Phoenix!” Alexis said, feeling a bit more confident than before.

“Alright, then. First off, what do you feel whenever someone either asks you for a duel or presents the idea to you in one way or another?” Aster asked.

Alexis took a minute to think over Aster’s question carefully before answering. “I feel…nervous. And surprised depending on when it happens. It’s like, I’ll be talking to someone and everything will be fine at first with all the casual chit-chat and jokes, you know. But then when the subject of duels is brought up, I’m suddenly brought back to reality. If I say no, I’m worried that I’ll look weak or rude for turning them down. But if I say yes, then I have to worry about facing it all over again in the arena…” She explained.

“It sounds like even just the idea of dueling creates a lot of stress and anxiety for you. You’re afraid, but at the same time, you’re worried about your reputation as a duelist.” Aster stated thoughtfully.

“You hit the nail on the head. I do still want to be able to enjoy dueling again. But more often than not, I’m just going out of my way to avoid anyone who isn’t one of my friends. They’re more understanding, but with everyone else, it’s like there are these expectations they have for me as a duelist.” Alexis admitted.

“So, you’ve been avoiding people a lot outside of class it sounds like.” Aster observed.

Alexis simply nodded in agreement to Aster’s statement.

“It’s good to not push yourself, but I fear that going out of your way to avoid confrontations over dueling might just be adding to your fear of it itself.” Aster said.

“How so?” Alexis asked slightly defensively. A part of her had an idea of what Aster was getting at. But at the same time, she didn’t want to think it was wrong of her to not want to create more stress for herself.

“Simple. If you don’t have to worry about the situation ever happening, how will you ever be ready to face it if it happens anyway outside of your control. Like say, if someone ambushes you on the way to the restroom to challenge you to a duel. How will you deal with that?” Aster countered.

“I…don’t really know.” Alexis answered somewhat helplessly.

“All I’m saying is that this isn’t something you can just avoid forever. After all, this  _ is  _ a dueling school and kind of what we’re here for. And then you’ll still have things like field tests to think about. Think of it this way: if the duel invitation is casual, you have every right to say no if you aren’t ready for that yet. Sure, you might feel embarrassed or guilty. But that’s the worst that can happen. You certainly won’t die or anything if you say no. The important thing is that you’ll be confronting a part of the problem itself, so it’s a step in the right direction.” Aster explained.

“I get it. All I have to think is, “What’s the worst that can happen?” and remember that it won’t be the end of the world. That sounds easy enough to try doing.” Alexis reasoned.

“True. But as the saying goes, sometimes things are easier said than done. So, I thought we’d try roleplaying a little to get the hang of it first. I’ll pretend to ask you for a duel, and you are going to try saying no. What do you think?” Aster proposed.

“Sounds fair enough. Alright; let’s try it.” Alexis said determinedly.

“Okay then. I’ll start this off easy. Just let me know at any point if it gets to be too much.” Aster said.

After taking a moment to get in the right frame of mind, Aster changed his expression. Putting on a friendly smile, he looked straight at Alexis as he spoke. “Hey there! Feeling up for a duel against me? I’ve got some time to kill before my next class. What do you say?” He asked in a casual tone.

Willing herself to try pretending that this situation was real, Alexis carefully considered her words before responding to Aster. “Oh, um, I’m sorry, but I’m kind of in a hurry right now. So, you’ll have to find someone else, I’m afraid.” She answered, trying to sound as polite as she could.

Aster put on a crestfallen expression before answering. “Really? That’s a shame. I’d heard you were really good, and I’ve been wanting to duel you for awhile now.” He was trying to see how Alexis would react to being guilted.

“Oh. Well, thank you. But I’m not really that great…” Alexis said somewhat awkwardly. She knew that Aster was just acting and that someone on his level couldn’t possibly consider her a great duelist. But it still felt weird to hear him say things like this to her.

“Is it me? I know I’m not that much of a duelist, but you don’t have to pretend just to be nice.” Aster said in what he hoped was a slightly offended tone.

“No, it’s not that! I’m just going through a lot right now and can’t focus on dueling anyone. It’s nothing personal.” Alexis insisted.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know. Well, maybe some other time once things are going better for you. Later then, I guess!’ Aster apologized. He then waved and turned around briefly to complete the act.

“How’d I do? Was I too nice?” Alexis asked.

“No, you were perfect. You said no and gave enough of an explanation that was necessary.” Aster reassured Alexis.

“That’s good. I didn’t want to go into it too much since you were supposed to be a stranger.” Alexis said.

“And that’s good. Now, we’re going to try again. But this time, I’m going to get a bit more aggressive. Are you ready for that?” Aster asked.

“Um…okay. I think so.” Alexis said somewhat nervously.

“Hey! You there! Let’s duel! Right now. Whaddaya say!?” Aster asked excitedly, taking out his duel disk for emphasis.

“I’m sorry, but I’m not up for that right now. Maybe some other time.” Alexis said apologetically.

“Oh, come on! It’ll be fun! Duel me! Pretty please!?” Aster insisted eagerly. He took a few steps closer to Alexis, causing her to back up a little.

“I can’t right now. I have to meet someone and I’m running late.” Alexis tried to sound firm, but she was feeling more than a little nervous from the lack of space between her and Aster.

“What’s wrong? Afraid you’ll lose to me!? Heh, what a coward! Unless you want to prove me wrong. Come on, duel me.” Aster taunted.

“Win this! Lose this! Who cares!? This is supposed to just be a game! Now for the last time, NO!” Alexis practically shouted. It was as if a part of her was reacting to the unfairness of it all. How dueling was supposed to be just a competitive sport or casual fun, not a battle with your own free will at stake.

“Fine, suit yourself. What a waste of time.” Aster complained before abruptly turning around and pretending to stalk off.

“Sorry that I got a little carried away there…” Alexis apologized.

“No, you were genuinely reacting to my words there, and that’s what you need to see how it would make you feel if it happened. If anything, I’m the one who should apologize. I hope I didn’t go too far there and overwhelm you too much, Alexis.” Aster said honestly.

“It was fine. Maybe a little intense, but I feel more relieved now.” Alexis admitted.

“I’m glad then. And I think we’ve done enough for one day.” Aster decided.

“Really? How long has it been?” Alexis asked in surprise.

“Long enough for me to need to start getting ready for something else tonight.” Aster answered simply.

“You’re going back to the tournament duels tonight, aren’t you?” Alexis asked. But she felt like it was less a question than a confirmation.

“Yeah, I’ve got work to do.” Aster said vaguely.

“You know, since you’re pretty high in the rankings, I bet you could probably win the whole thing.” Alexis said encouragingly. She knew form the Genex page on the Academy’s website that Aster had defeated more than his fair share of opponents, students and pros alike. He was even a favorite to win the tournament with a lot of people.

“Of course I could. But I’m not in it for that.” Aster said carelessly.

“Well…good luck anyways.” Alexis answered awkwardly. She had forgotten just how arrogant Aster could be when he wanted to.

“Thanks. I just hope I don’t end up needing it… Anyways, I think we’re off to a good start with all this, so why don’t we continue tomorrow, same time and place?” Aster said, quickly changing the subject.

“Sounds good to me. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow then.” Alexis agreed.

“Sure thing. I’ll be here.” Aster said.

“Okay. I guess I’ll be going now.” Alexis said as she walked towards the door.

Right before she was about to shut the door behind her, Alexis turned around to look at Aster. “Thanks, Aster.” She said quietly, unable to suppress a grateful smile from forming on her face.

“No problem.” Aster answered, finding himself smiling as well.

  
  



	5. Chapter 5

The ocean water splashed around Alexis in a flurry of spray as she swam powerfully near the coast of the island. Since mostly everyone was dueling in the Genex tournament right now, it had been a challenge just to find an uninhabited area where she could swim in peace. But after going out of the way closer to the woods enough, she had finally struck gold. Normally, she wasn’t self-conscious about going around the island by herself. But she knew from gym class that most of the male students would resort to some very unpleasant leering once they saw her wearing a swimsuit. It may have been just a simple dark blue one-piece, but the reactions were unpleasant nonetheless.

After doing a few more laps, Alexis pulled herself up onto the small, wooden deck edging out over the coast where she had left her gym bag. Once she had retrieved her towel and finished drying off, she sat idly on the deck, staring down into the gently lapping water while her feet dangled over the edge. Today was the day that she would be trying a real duel again with Aster, so she wanted a chance to just not think of it or anything else for a few minutes.

About five minutes or so later, a voice interrupted the quiet. “Didn’t think I’d see you all the way out here.” Aster said casually.

Alexis turned around with a slight jolt to see Aster standing behind her with a slightly amused smile on his face. How had she not heard him show up!?

“Yeah, well…I just like to be alone while I swim.” Alexis admitted sheepishly.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to intrude on you. I can leave if you want…” Aster said apologetically.

“No, it’s like that! I just…don’t really like to run into any guys while I do this alone. But you’re normal, so I don’t mind if it’s you!” Alexis rambled on without really thinking about everything she was saying. She knew that her face was probably bright red by now.

Aster raised his eyebrows in surprise and amusement at Alexis’ words. “You think I’m _normal_!? That’s a new one!” He joked, unable to suppress a grin.

“Don’t worry. I’m still aware of your special status, Mr. Pro League Celebrity. I just meant that you’re not a creep like a lot of other guys can be around here, unfortunately…” Alexis said wryly.

“Well, I’m glad that I have a more favorable rating with you then. And I can say the same for you as well. It’s a nice change to talk with a girl who isn’t interested in adding me to their phone’s gallery.” Aster admitted ruefully.

“I guess I don’t have it nearly as bad as you now that I think of it. I should be thankful for that, at least.” Alexis said thoughtfully. And she meant it. While the boys at school could be irritating and downright creepy with their admiration for her, Alexis knew that it was nothing compared to what Aster had to deal with on a regular basis due to having fans worldwide thanks to his dueling career. But all the same, it was nice that they could identify with each other when it came to that.

Aster sat down casually on the deck next to Alexis. Not _right_ next to her, but close enough for her to feel the change in proximity. A strange, nervous energy seemed to radiate from her body from his closeness. She didn’t know why she was feeling this way. It wasn’t like Aster was doing anything to make her feel uncomfortable. And she had hung out with regular nice guys like Jaden and the rest of his friends while wearing a swimsuit without feeling like this. So, why was this happening with Aster?

Thankfully, Alexis didn’t have long to dwell on her confusion. Aster broke the silence and started speaking again. “So, you like to swim, huh?” He enquired conversationally.

“Yeah. Ever since I was a kid. I took lessons back then, but it started out just as thing I did because my parents made me. They wanted me and Atticus in some extracurricular activities so we wouldn’t just be hanging around at home by ourselves while they were at work after school. This was one that I really ended up liking, though. I don’t know how to explain it exactly, but when I’m out in the water getting some good laps in, I feel invigorated somehow. Like I can take on anything. Yet at the same time, it’s relaxing, too.” Alexis explained wistfully. She was surprised that she was telling Aster all of this. Yet somehow, it felt easy to confide in him.

“I know exactly what you mean. I’ve always loved the water myself too since I was younger. It’s like a separate world out there with the flow and current whether you’re testing your strength against it or just relaxing in it. Eventually, I got into swimming and surfing with some professional competitions. But I also just enjoy the water when I need a place to be alone and clear my head. That’s sort of why I ended up getting the yacht, in fact.” Aster confessed, giving a slight chuckle at the last admission.

“That’s right. I had almost forgotten that you were an athlete, too…” Alexis said thoughtfully. Just _how_ Aster made the time to do even more outside of his dueling career, she had no idea, though.

“I’m not surprised that anyone would forget with how dueling is the big attraction nowadays. But speaking of dueling, are you ready for ours today?” Aster asked, shifting the focus of their conversation. It was as if he had read Alexis’ mind.

“I think so. It’s been long enough and it’s only a tabletop duel. So, I think I’ll be fine…” Alexis answered, sounding more as if she were trying to reassure herself than Aster.

“Actually, we’re starting out even easier than that, in a way. That’s why I brought these.” Aster said. He took out a small pile of index cards from his pocket and pointed at them for emphasis.

“We’ll be using these in lieu of our actual decks. All you have to do is write the names of your cards and the attack and defense points for the monsters and you’re set to go. And I trust that a duelist with your level of experience will remember your cards’ effects, so there shouldn’t be any problems.” Aster explained.

“Wow… You’re really trying to make this as easy as you can for me to start off with.” Alexis said appreciatively.

“That’s how the whole process is supposed to work. We start as simple as possible and work our way up through each step. You’ve been doing great so far with our conversations about your fears and the roleplaying. And from what you’ve told me, you’ve been able to stop fearing confrontations with people asking you for duels. So, you’re definitely ready for the next step.” Aster said encouragingly.

“Thanks, Aster. It really helps to hear that. I’m not sure how long it will take for me to get back into dueling again. But all I can do is try my best.” Alexis said gratefully, trying to instill some confidence in her words. She didn’t know how far she would get, but she did know that she had one good teacher and friend in Aster to help her along the way.


	6. Chapter 6

“-and with that, Destiny Hero Dasher’s effect switches it into defense position, and I’ll end my turn. It’s all or nothing now, Alexis.” Aster finished up calmly before directing the focus back to Alexis, who simply nodded in response.

Aster watched Alexis’ expression from across the table as she looked at the “card” she had just drawn along with the ones remaining in her hand. Sure, they were just regular note cards with the cards’ names written on one side of them. But they had still managed to see it as any other duel nonetheless. Dueling with the props in a simple tabletop duel seemed to dispel any feelings of fear and anxiety present within her. However, Aster did notice that it seemed to be taking Alexis twice as long as a duelist normally would to make her moves. Right now, with her shoulders tensed up while she bit her nail, he could tell that the “late game tension” was affecting her in a way that showed that she hadn’t been used to dueling for awhile now. The way things stood now, they both one hit away from losing, so the next plays they made would end up making or breaking the duel for one of them.

“Alright. I’ll start by playing the ritual spell Sprite’s Blessing to ritual summon Cyber Angel Benten. Now, I’ll attack Destiny Hero Dasher with her. And I sincerely hope you aren’t just letting me win, Aster. Because we both know what this means for the rest of your life points thanks to Benten’s effect.” Alexis said a bit unsurely. Aster had no set cards to protect himself, so it didn’t  _ look  _ like there was a way he could get out of this. But at the same time, it was as if she knew that it couldn’t be  _ this  _ easy to win against him.

“Not at all. And quite frankly, I’m disappointed that you would think so low of me, Alexis. I activate Destiny Hero Decider’s effect from my cemetery to negate the effect damage.” Aster said bluntly. And he meant it. He had thought that since she saw just how much planning he was going into to help her, then surely she would also understand that doing something like throwing the game wouldn’t make sense in that plan.

Alexis’ face flushed in shame and embarrassment at Aster’s words. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that… I just-“ She apologized, struggling to finish what she wanted to say.

“Just don’t see how it’s possible that you could actually defeat me?” Aster finished for Alexis smugly, the cheeky grin on his face telling her that all was forgiven.

Aster’s teasing seemed to do the trick. Alexis’ facial expression went from flustered to a full-on pout of irritation. “Y-you wish! The duel’s not over yet! I attack your Destiny Hero Celestial with Cyber Tutubon!” She declared.

“And I’ll activate Destiny Hero Blademaster’s effect from my hand to boost Celestial’s attack by eight-hundred points to take out the rest of your life points and win the duel. Checkmate.” Aster announced triumphantly.

“I should have known… Good game, Aster.” Alexis congratulated somewhat wearily. It was her first duel in a long time (well, that she could remember, that is), and she felt both relieved and satisfied that it was over now.

“Same to you. You did really well considering everything, Alexis. I could tell you were a little tense at points and it took awhile for you to make your moves. But what’s important is that you were able to finish the duel and not have any attacks in the process. I think we’re off to a good start.” Aster said thoughtfully.

“Thanks, Aster. It does me good to hear that, especially with how rusty I’ve gotten. Still, it’s too bad I couldn’t win that one. I was so close…” Alexis said wistfully.

“Now that’s a good sign right there that you’re starting to get back into dueling if you’re lamenting your losses already. Don’t worry, though. You’ll still have plenty more opportunities to do that from me.” Aster said teasingly as that same smug grin from before resurfaced on his face.

“You know, you can be a real jerk sometimes…” Alexis deadpanned. But despite her words, she couldn’t stop the corners of her mouth turning up slightly into a small smile.

Xxx

“So, you think you’ll be up for another duel tomorrow? Same time as today?” Aster asked casually from his place at the kitchen table as he watched Alexis gather up her belongings near the counter.

“Hmm… I don’t think I’m doing anything then tomorrow. But let me check my schedule just to be sure.” Alexis answered. She then started to browse idly through her cellphone.

While Alexis’ attention was occupied, Aster took a chance to observe her from across the room. No matter how easily he was able to conduct himself in front of girls; in no way did it mean that he was oblivious to one’s looks. He had seen tons of attractive girls while on tour for the Pro League, especially during his autograph sessions with his fans. And all of them had been lined up to meet him. The Senrigan Group had coached Aster on how to interact with his fans properly, so he became used to the attention after a point. It became easy to tell who was after what. Whether someone was happy just for a chance to meet him, or were hoping for a chance for their interactions to go further than just the simple meet-and-greet encounter. Even if they didn’t specifically say they wanted to, Aster got to know all the little hints and cues from girls. How they would casually flip a few strands of their hair away from their face or lean in expectantly whenever it was his turn to speak, or when their make-up was a bit  _ too  _ heavy. He could even start to tell whenever girls had stuffed their bras with cotton or some other substance in a desperate attempt to impress him.

But Alexis was different. As far as Aster could tell, she was in no way attracted to him, yet she could still become flustered from their interactions depending on what he said. It was refreshing, in a way. To see someone as mature as her still display such honest and pure reactions, never trying to conceal them or change her personality for him. Plus, he’d be lying if he said he didn’t find her attractive in terms of looks. Alexis was beautiful, he knew that for sure. But it wasn’t just that. Her body was slender, but not skinny like a lot of girls he had seen whose appendages more or less resembled twigs. Alexis’ arms and legs were more toned and full. Aster guessed that years of swimming had built up some muscle on her. That along with her clear complexion and long, undamaged hair and he could say that Alexis was more healthily beautiful, almost glowing even. And he had only come to notice it more when he had seen her in her swimsuit earlier today.

Vaguely, Aster wondered to himself what it might feel like to run his hands down Alexis’ arms. Just how would her skin feel? Would it feel as soft and smooth as it looked?

_ Stop that right now. You’re not here for that.  _ Aster mentally scolded himself. Even though he knew that his attraction to Alexis didn’t mean that he was in love with her or wanted to date her even. He could still appreciate a girl’s looks by themselves. But Aster also didn’t want to risk showing anything that would scare Alexis off. After all, he was mature enough to know that affection and lust did not always keep the same company. And somehow, he didn’t think that Alexis would take either one kindly from him.

Thankfully, Aster managed to draw himself out of his thoughts in time before Alexis spoke up again. “I can make it tomorrow at the same time.” She confirmed.

“Good, then I guess it’s a date.” Aster said without thinking. He immediately regretted his choice of wording when Alexis blanched out a little, her cheeks taking on a slight pink tinge.

“On our calendars.” Aster added in what he hoped was a serious tone. He wanted anything to break the awkward silence between them.

“Oh, of course! I had forgotten to put it on my, um, calendar! Silly me! I’ll see you tomorrow Aster!” Alexis said hurriedly. With that, she practically scurried out the front door.

Once the front door had closed, Aster couldn’t help breathing a sigh of relief. It had been so much easier when they had just been talking about dueling. Why did he have to screw that up by thinking of Alexis like  _ that _ ?

_ Whatever. Even if I did like her, it’s not like it could go anywhere. I’ve got more than enough to deal with right now.  _ Aster thought to himself seriously. His eyes drifted over to where he had left his duel disk and deck in the living room. Tonight would be another long night in pursuit of justice. Or perhaps vengeance was the more appropriate word in his case.


	7. Chapter 7

Aster stood across the field from his opponent, idly shuffling his left foot across the ground as he waited in boredom for him to make his next move. He was thankful for the updated “night vision” feature that Kaiba Corp. had perfected for their duel disks. The luminous glow that radiated around it made it much easier for duelists to see their own cards on the slots and deck holder during late hours such as this. However, it still did little to quell the growing impatience he was feeling right now.

Aster’s opponent was a man in his early thirties by the name of Kojiro Asahi. Dressed in casual attire consisting of a simple T-shirt and jeans, with short, dark hair that spiked out at the sides, he looked completely unremarkable. The only thing that made his appearance stand out were the large, circular-shaped sunglasses he wore at all times of day during duels. It was an amateurish trick used by some duelists to hide their expressions during duels. But Aster had been dueling long enough to be able to read his opponent’s body language in other ways to tell whenever they were stressed or not.

Kojiro was not one of the more seasoned pro duelists in the Genex tournament. He was from one of the lower divisions that rookies first started out in before they entered the real Pro League. Veteran duelists and other insiders such as managers and trainers often just referred to them unofficially as the “Sub Leagues”. It was sort of like the Pro League version of minor league baseball. Aster’s own stay there had been brief thanks to his talents and win record relentlessly pushing him ahead of the competition. From what he had learned of it though, some duelists tended to linger or get sent back down there more often than not. And Kojiro was one of them. While he wasn’t what someone would necessarily call unskilled, his tendency to let his temper get the better of him and play impulsively had kept him from winning consistently enough to advance any further.

“Look, while I do appreciate the fact that this game requires strategy and critical thinking skills, I also have a schedule to keep. So, either make your move, or forfeit. And trust me, there’s no shame in choosing the second option since you’re going against me.” Aster goaded Kojiro slightly, desperate to speed this duel along.

“Quite a mouth you’ve got on you there, kid. But I’m about to wipe that smirk right off it! I play the spell card, Mystical Space Typhoon! It will destroy that annoying field spell of yours so that I can attack again!” Kojiro declared smugly.

“Just what I was hoping for. When Clock Tower Prison is destroyed with four or more clock counters on it, I can summon Destiny Hero Dreadmaster from my hand or deck. And now that he’s here, I get to bring back two Destiny Heroes from my graveyard. So, welcome back, Destiny Heroes Dogma and Drilldark! Oh, and Dreadmaster’s attack and defense is equal to the combined attack power of all the Destiny Heroes on my field. So, good luck with that.” Aster explained casually.

Kojiro looked too stunned to speak for a moment at Aster’s explanation. Clearly, this had not been the outcome he had expected.

“I-I can still attack! Wattaildragon, take out his Drilldark!” Kojiro stammered.

“Yeah, about that… Dreadmaster prevents all Destiny Heroes this turn from being destroyed, and I also don’t take any damage from battles with them. Tough luck, dude.” Aster gloated.

“What!? So, I can’t do  _ anything _ this turn!? This isn’t fair!” Kojiro complained.

“Didn’t you know?  _ Life  _ isn’t fair, Kojiro. Now, are you done with your turn?” Aster joked humorlessly.

“Argh! That’s all I can do… I end my turn.” Kojiro grumbled. He at least had enough pride to see his end through without surrendering, Aster gave him that much.

“Alright, now all that’s left is to end this. Dogma, destroy his Wattaildragon! Then Dreadmaster and Drilldark will take out the rest of your life points!” Aster declared.

Once Kojiro’s life points had plummeted to zero and the duel holograms had faded, he glared at Aster defiantly. “That duel was rigged from the start in your favor and you know it! It’s not fair that you get to have bullshit cards that nobody can win against!” He ranted.

“You lost. Get over it. If anything, now you know more of how my deck works and can use that to your advantage if we ever have a rematch sometime.” Aster impatiently, trying to at least give Kojiro a silver lining to his loss in hopes that he would stop his tirade.

“Oh, I’ve seen my fair share. Enough to know that you don’t deserve those cards. They’re too good for you and it’s not fair that only you get to have them. So, I’ll be helping myself to them!” Kojiro announced. He then started to charge towards Aster.

Quick as a flash, Aster dodged out of the way of Kojiro’s advance. He then kicked him swiftly in the groin area, causing him to howl in pain and drop to his knees.

“AAGH! You bastard!!” Kojiro cursed.

“Funny how you try to steal my cards and yet  _ I’m  _ the bastard. And also that you’re so interested in my cards to begin with. I don’t like that, you see.” Aster said with a deadly calm in his voice.

Without another word, Aster punched Kojiro hard in the face. But it didn’t end there. Before he could even hope to recover, Aster had slammed him up against the nearest tree.

“Aah… Wh-what are you doing? Please, stop…” Kojiro begged fearfully.

“No.” Aster answered with a cold edge of anger. He then proceeded to pummel him some more.

A part of Aster knew this was wrong, but he had long stopped worrying about the morals behind his actions when it came to criminals like this. It felt good to take out his frustration and anger like this. Every day, he felt as if he was getting nowhere and fighting more and more of a futile battle against destiny itself when it came to finding who killed his father. As if his life was stuck in an empty, meaningless void of duels and searching, with time never moving forward. Anyone who wanted to steal cards especially infuriated him. He wondered how his father had reacted when the murderous slime that was after his card took it and his life from him? Did he beg and plead for mercy like Kojiro? Or had he tried to show no fear and do what he could to resist until the end like he had always told Aster that real heroes did? Aster would never know the truth.

Once Kojiro was out cold, Aster grabbed the deck holder from his duel disk laying next to him and started rummaging through the contents in a crazed frenzy, carelessly tossing aside each card after a quick glance at each. “Not here, not here…” He muttered frantically, his teeth gritted in frustration.

After he had gone through Kojiro’s whole deck and even searched his pockets, Aster threw the man’s duel disk against the tree in a rage. “And of course, all you have is SHIT!!” He yelled furiously to no one in particular. He felt like banging his own head against the tree.

The sound of a slight rustle of movement nearby caused Aster to turn around swiftly in the other direction. With a shock, he saw Alexis standing off to the side by a bush. And judging by how she was looking at Aster-eyes widened in horror with her mouth hanging open-right now, it was obvious that she had witnessed everything.

Aster felt himself falter. He tried to open his mouth to find something to say, but no words would come out. Without a word exchanged between them, Alexis turned and sprinted away from Aster in fear.

  
  



End file.
